Bill granting free, discounted funeral services to poor, indigent refiled for 4th time

A bill granting free funeral services to extremely poor families and 50% discount on funeral services for indigent families has been sought anew at the House of Representatives.

Makabayan bloc lawmakers France Castro of ACT Teachers, Arlene Brosas of Gabriela and Raoul Manuel of Kabataan made the proposal under House Bill 5753, a bill refiled for the fourth time since it was first filed in the 15th Congress.

Under the proposal, free funeral services will be provided for extremely poor families by accredited mortuaries anywhere in the country. The said free services will be given to only one family member per month per mortuary branch, provided that the said funeral service does not exceed the cost of the mortuary's minimum funeral service package.

Further, the grant of free funeral services under this measure is without prejudice to the right of the beneficiary to avail of upgraded funeral services given by the mortuary. The difference in cost shall be borne by the family of the deceased.

The 50% discount for funeral services for indigent families, on the other hand, will be granted by mortuaries anywhere in the country but would only be applicable to at-need funeral services only, provided that the said funeral service does not exceed the cost of the mortuary's minimum funeral service package.

The grant of a discount under this Act is without prejudice to the right of the beneficiary to avail of other financial assistance given by the government.

"Ang hirap na ngang mabuhay, pati kapag namatay, mahirap at magastos pa din. This measure seeks to help our countrymen on this by providing immediate relief to the poor, especially during the loss of their loved ones," Castro, who is also the House deputy minority leader, said.

"The bill, if enacted, will provide free funeral services for extremely poor families by accredited mortuaries anywhere in the country," Castro added.

The bill defines funeral services as: preparation of funeral documents, embalming, viewing, interment or burial services, cremation  and inurnment services, including the provision of a casket or urn, as the case may be, offered by mortuaries.

The standard package of funeral services will cover:

• transfer of deceased from place of death to the mortuary for embalming and applying of cosmetics within a 25-kilometer radius of mortuary;
• an ordinary plain casket and casket stand for viewing of body or um in case of cremation;
• two to three days viewing outside the funeral chapels such as the Barangay Hall or residence of the family;
• use of funeral viewing equipment including lighting and arania;
• use of funeral vehicle for interment within a 25-kilometer radius from the place of viewing to the place of burial; and
• interment only on weekdays and on official time, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., except on regular holidays, unless for compelling reason.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development shall be the lead agency in the implementation of the provision of this Act and is mandated to engage the funeral services of mortuaries in the country.

Before an indigent or extremely poor family can avail of the free or discounted funeral services, the following documents should be submitted:

• certificate of indigency issued by the barangay or the local social welfare office of the local government  unit (LGU) stating whether the family is either indigent or extremely poor, provided, however, that the certification will not be a requirement before any member of the family of the deceased could avail the services of the mortuary;
• death certificate; and
• funeral contract between the beneficiary-family, the accredited mortuary and the authorized DSWD personnel.

Mortuaries granting discounted or free services to indigent or extremely poor beneficiaries, the bill said, are also allowed to seek reimbursement for the cost of the services from any regional office of the DSWD upon the approval of the regional director.

The measure defines poor as those families whose income falls below the poverty threshold as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and/or who cannot afford in a sustained manner to provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing or other essential amenities of life, as defined under Republic Act No. 8425, the “Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act”.

It also provides that the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) established under Republic Act No. 11315 of the local government unit, with the supervision of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), will be used to determine the degree of indigency of the family, whether indigent or extremely poor.

"We trust that the House leadership will fast-track the measure and approve it as soon  as possible to help our poor people cope with the rising cost of funeral services," Castro added. —KG, GMA News